[note : == means flash back. == means time skip]

The sky was dark mixing with serveral dark grey clouds which could hardly be seen, adding more sorrow to the funeral . There weren't so much people attending and they didn't seem too emotional either . It was like they just attend it just because of responsibility . They all have the cold look on their face, except 2 people who was standing among them, near the grave. The older one had to-the-middle-of-his-back-length dark brown hair , his brown eyes showed he was very sad by the person's death. He put his hand on the head of the little boy who was clenching to him, the boy looked roughly 6 years old , with blonde hair that had a hair bang crossed his face , coverred his left eye from being seen. They were both having tears rolling down their eyes, although the tall man's face still remaining it's tough .

" Your father was great. Be strong and make him proud. " The man comforted warmly to the boy then stared back at the grave . He could clearly remember his partner's words before he died.

" TESSEKI! " The brown haired man with several wounds on his body exclaimed and ran over to his partner, who was lying on the grassy ground which was now dyed with Tesseki's blood . There were kunais and shurikens all over his body . Not far away, There were dead bodies of several rival ninjas . The badly injured man weakly smiled as he saw his partner was alive. His fingers twitched while his hand tried to reach to a scroll . It was also covered with blood.

The other man by now had reached him and lightly lifted his head " Tesseki! I'm sorry i couldn't come back in time, the enemies w- " His words were stopped by Tesseki's action. The man slowly raised his hand with the with the small bloody scroll .

" Kazuhei... take it... to the village " Tesseki said . The words were forced out of him with lots of power but still it came out like he was whispering. Kazuhei took the scroll from his hand. He knew what was going to happen and he couldn't do anything to stop it. His lips tightened to control his emotion so was his grasp on the scroll . Suddenly he realized Tesseki was trying to say something else. He lowered his head so that he could hear clearlier. " please... take care of my son . protect him... I m the only one he had... i know i won't survive ... please... Kazuhei... " .

The brown haired man couldn't hold it anymore, he felt his eyes were all watery. The warm salty liquid rolled down his cheeks . He knew about his partner's life. They had been partners for nearly 15 years now. Everyone in Tesseki's clan hated art , which means they also hate Tesseki and his family because he was the only one in the clan dared to follow the artistic path . His wife died after given birth to his son. The boy had been growing up in the hate of the rest of the family, except his father .

Kazuhei nodded " you have my promise " . Tesseki smiled as if he had been waiting for this answer . He then closed his eyes and released his muscles. He passed away with a satisfied look on his face. He trusted Kazuhei could keep his promise. He had never broken a promise to him before.

" Kazuhei-san "

The little boy lightly shook his arm as he called him , which brought him back to realitity . Everyone had left except the two. He looked down and smiled warmly . " lets head home, Deidara. You have to attend the first day at the academy tomorrow . " The boy nodded after looking back at his father's grave . Kazuhei picked up the boy and put him on his shoulders and started walking back to the village .

" Can i remove the band now, Kazu-san ? "

" yes you can now "

Deidara slowly untied the headband which was covering his eyes . His eyes widened and he dropped it . They were standing in a small clay-art workshop . It had everything he ever wanted. And all of them were best quality stuffs too. He could tell because his father taught him a lot about clay art tools. The boy ran around the place, examine everything in it with high interest . " Kazu-san! This place is so great! " He exclaimed with the most happy face he ever had. "

" It's yours now " Kazuhei said with his hands on his hips and a grin on his face . " congratulation on graduating to Genin with the highest grade "

" really? " The boy ran to him and hopped into his arms " Thank you , Kazu-san ! " . Deidara felt so delightful being around the man. He brought the feeling like he was his father.

Kazuhei rubbed the boy's head . He then walked over to the headband, which the boy dropped , picked it up and handed over to Deidara. " You gotta be more carefull with it . The headbands are very important . "

" sorry, i will . " The boy took the head protector from Kazuhei then tied it on his head after Kazuhei put him down back on his feet. " Now since you have a whole day. I'll teach you to create clay works like your father . Hows that sound? "

Deidara's eyes widened again . That was one thing his father promised to him... right before he head for the mission. "That sound... g- He quickly turned his face and wiped his eyes with his kimino-like outfit 's sleeve. Then turned back with a smile . " That's sound great "

" Man, he just like you, Tesseki. " He thought and took the boy over to a table and began to show him how to mold the clay .

[ I'm not sure how academy and rank are like in Iwagakure, so I applied Konoha's to it ]